Manufacture of artificial fibers



May 3, 1932. F. FERRAND 1,856,071

MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FIBERS Filed Nov. 22, 1928 a fly F/G/ F/GZ 1 wIhuehtaf;

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Patented May 3, 1932 FRED FERRAND, OF SOUTHPOR'I', ENGLAN MANUFACTURE OFARTIFICIAL FIBERS Application filed November 22, 1928, Serial No.321,139, and in Great Britain December 24, 1927.

This invention has reference to the manufacture of artificial fibers andhas for its ob ject to provide improved means whereby, in themanufacture of the artificial fibers, e. g., artificial silk or thelike, such fiber may be divided into staples of any predeterminedlength, thereby rendering the fiber suitable for spinning in the mannerof, or for mining or blending with, cotton and other natural or otherstaple fibers.

According to the invention the column of solution, by which theextrusion nozzle or nozzles is or are fed, is subdivided at regularintervals in such manner that the solution issues from the nozzle ornozzles into the coagulating bath in the form of separated or dividedfibers of corresponding length or staple.

The column of solution is conveniently subdivided by the injectionthereinto at a relatively higher pressure of a suitable fluid, which ispreferably liquid, but may in some cases be gaseous.

One form of apparatus for carrying the invention into effect isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereof Fig. 1 is a sectionalelevation of the apparatus, Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof taken atright angles to Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a plan thereof. Inasmuch as theextrusion jet and the staplesubdividing chamber are formed capable ofbeing turned up out of the operative position, they are so shown in Fi 1to S for the sake of clarity in illustration. Fig. 4 is a general. view,partly in section, of the apparatus shown in conjunction with thecoagulating bath and pump.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus illustrated comprises acircular base 5 to the underside of which is fitted a diaphragm 6provided with a central peg or tappet 7, the lower end of which restsupon a rotating cam 8 having a plurality of peaks 8*, the arrangementbeing such that the rotation of the earn 8 intermittently raises andlowers the diaphragm 6 which thereby acts as a pump.

The diaphragm encloses a chamber 9 which communicates with a watersupply pipe 10 by Way of an automatic non-return valve 11 and a passage12. Also communicating with said chamber 9 is a passage 13 leading byway of a second automatic non-return valve 1 1 into a passage 15 formedin one of two trunnions 16 provided upon the base 5 and upon which ispivotally mounted a barrel or the like 17 having an axial passage 18connected with said passage 15. The barrel or the like 17 is adaptedtobe turned out of itsnormal or operative position, which is horizontal,ilnto an upright position as shown in Figs.

to 3. i a

The passage 18 leads into a pipe or duct 18 which is coupled at one endto the barrel 17,

and at the other end is provided with. an ex trusion nozzle or spinneret19, which consists of a cone 19, the base of which is surrounded byanumber of minute diverging orifices 19.

The passage 18 of the barrel is interrupted by a cavity 20 connectedwith an annular duct 21 which communicates by means of a passage 22 inthe second trunnion 16, with a pipe 23, the other end of which. isconnected through a suitable filter 2 1- and a measuring pump 25 with apipe to which the cellulose solution is supplied under pressure.

The extrusionnozzle 19 dips beneath the surface of the usual coagulatingbath 26, and partially surrounding the nozzle is arranged thefunncl-shaped mouth 27 of a e siphon pipe 28 leading to a conduit 29with in which sufficient suction is maintained to draw fluid from thebath thereinto, for the purpose hereinafter described.

In operation, the cellulose solution passes from the pipe 30 by way ofthe pump 25, filter 24, pipe 23 and the passage 22 to the annularpassage 21 and cavity 20 leading to the passage 18. The diaphragm pump 6draws water from the pipe 10 by way of the valve 11 and passage 12 intothe chamber 9 and expels same through the passage 13, and past the valve14 into the passage 15 whence it issues into the cavity 20 andsubdivides the column of cellulose solution entering the passage 18 andflowing by the pipe 18 to the nozzle 19 so that the solution is extrudedin form of short or staple fibers of corresponding length.

Short or staple fibers of any desired length may be obtained in themanner described by varying the amount of Water injected'by the pump 6into the passage 18 at each interval, or by regulating the speed of thepump so as to vary the frequency with which successive jets of water areinjected.

Any suitable liquid, other thanwateganay be employed to serve as a fluidseparator been the divided thread solution if desired, the separatingfluid may be gaseous.

The fibers issuing from'the several 'ori fices of the nozzle -19 aremaintained separateby the cone 19 hereinbefore referred :to, until theyhave become sufficiently *fixed by the coagulating solution to precludethe possibility of their uniting to form a single thread.

As the separated fibers are coagulated they are -collected by the"funnel-shaped mouth :27

of the siphon pipe 28 along which they are conveyed, together withcoagulating solution'into the conduit 29 whence they may be treated toremove the excess coagulating solution (which is returned to th-e'bathand subsequently carded orpara l lel-ized-as Zin the treatment of cottonfor the production of yarn or thread. Alternatively, the fibers may betreated in any other desired manner, and/or mixed with cotton or otherfibers.

What I claim as my invention and desire tion, iorcing the column ofsolution along a passage to anextrusion nozzle, and subdividing thecolumn at regular intervals during its passage to the extrusion nozzle.

2. The process for the production of staple artificial fibers o1predetermined length which consists in forming acolumn 02E solution,forcing the column of solution along a passage to an extrusion nozzle,and injecting a fluid at predetermined intervals into the passage alongwhich the column is-forced.

3. The apparatus for the production of staple artificial fibers ofpredetermined length comprising an extrusion nozzle, means ing fluidinto said passage at regular intervals.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set *my hand. v

FRED FERRAND.

for supplying acolumn of solution to said nozzle, a connection betweensaid nozzle and said means having a passage therethrough for the columnof solution, and additional means for injecting a subdividing fluid intosaid passage at regular intervals.

.4. The apparatus for the production of

